Manning, Coughlin Know When Not to Listen

The game is hard enough without the constant barrage of doubt and criticism. But has anyone, anywhere faced down the skeptics and so consistently won over the non-believers as Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin during their years together in New York?

The Giants are Super Bowl-bound once again -- for the second time in five seasons -- because Manning and Coughlin never believe what they hear. They have confidence in their abilities, resiliency in their nature, and an iron-clad belief in how they go about their business of playing quarterback and coaching a football team.

There's nothing particularly tricky about their success. No secret formula behind their approach. They just don't give up, and don't give in, even in the face of failure or pessimism. They're both basically grinders, and if they're not getting the results they want, they keep grinding until they do. They don't know any other way, and it's a very good thing for Giants fans that they never learned.